


Beyond Normal Proportions

by gunpowderlatte



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 00:38:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gunpowderlatte/pseuds/gunpowderlatte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is a failing artist who publishes a monthly shoujo-yaoi manga called Love Like Caramel. Erwin is his number one fan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beyond Normal Proportions

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this](http://25.media.tumblr.com/14946254cd04c1ae8bf04c53aed03c16/tumblr_mst0ofNucb1rjzbfeo6_500.jpg) hilarious picture from If No Sekai.
> 
> EDIT: For the love of yaoi, PLEASE check out [this drawing](http://bromir.tumblr.com/post/66755359984/eren-the-boyband-heart-throb-reads-horrible) for this fic by tumblr user [bromir](http://bromir.tumblr.com/), it is truly the most glorious thing I've ever laid eyes on.
> 
> EDIT #2: [NOW WITH EVEN MORE ART JFC](http://jen-suis.tumblr.com/post/72373025388/i-just-laughed-out-loud-like-7-times-and-this) Partly NSFW and entirely spot-on. Many thanks to the talented [jen-suis](http://jen-suis.tumblr.com/)!

 

The next installment of _Love Like Caramel_ arrives in the mail.

“I should have stopped you when I had the chance,” Mike says despairingly. “I have failed you as a friend.”

“Shut up,” Erwin says, tearing open the package in barely contained frenzy. “If you weren’t late that day, none of this would have ever happened.”

-

This is what happened:

Mike was late as usual. Bored out of his skull, Erwin browsed through the manga section of the bookstore when a very flashy cover caught his eyes. Upon closer look, he realized it was actually a yaoi manga with some poorly drawn art and he took a moment to chuckle at the disproportionate anatomy and oversized hands before skimming the summary.

_Junichi Ikeda is a freshmen at Trost University and finds himself crushing hard on senior baseball captain, Ryota Sato. But Ryota is too popular and is always surrounded by people who are so much cooler than Junichi. Will his senpai ever notice him?_

“This is so stupid,” Erwin said laughing, and began to flip through it.

Mike showed up half an hour later.

“You okay, man?” asked Mike, noting Erwin’s distraught expression.

“No,” Erwin cried out. “Ryota ignored Junichi, that son of a bitch!”

Mike squinted. “…Alright then. So, lunch?”

-

Here’s the thing. The art for _Love Like Caramel_ may not be the greatest. In fact, it’s downright questionable to call it art sometimes; but it’s unique and it’s a style and the plot is actually really moving and that is what makes the entire series so worth it.

“Do you know what I mean, Hanji?” Erwin asks.

“You’re a thirty year old Ph.D student,” Hanji answers. “You shouldn’t be reading these in the first place.”

“I can’t help that the story is incredibly captivating.”

“Actually, from what you’ve been telling me, the story sounds terrible,” Hanji says dubiously. “Junichi has been trying to get this senpai’s attention for a million chapters, and then when he finally has his attention, Ryota decides to have a gay freakout that lasts _forever_. Now Ryota’s suddenly acting like some sort of gay demigod who’s after Junichi’s ass? It makes no sense. Also the dialogue is atrocious.”

Erwin furrows his brows. “What’s wrong with the dialogue?”

Hanji grabs the issue—“Hey, don’t crease it!”—and flips it open to a random page.

“Junichi: _Senpai, why are you looking at me like that?”_ Hanji reads tonelessly. “Ryota: _Because I want to fuck you so bad, my precious Junichi;_ Junichi: _Oh senpai! I’m not ready~!_ Jesus Christ, Erwin! He hasn’t been ready for months now, what the hell’s wrong with him?”

“I’m so emotional right now,” Erwin chokes out.

“It makes no sense!” Hanji exclaims, voice rising. “Junichi has been after this senpai forever, why isn’t he putting out?!”

“I just want them to be happy,” Erwin continues.

“WHY ISN’T HE PUTTING OUT, ERWIN?!?!”

“Shut the hell up!” yells someone in the library.

-

In his spare time, Erwin logs onto his website, a fan page he’s created for _Love Like Caramel_. It only has twenty three registered members, and most of them are actually sockpuppet accounts he’s created.

Today, an anon has left a rather scathing post about the manga on the comment section.

Erwin types out an appropriate response about anon being pressed and having trash taste.

Then he uses his sockpuppet accounts to defend himself.

-

“Why are you guys here?” Erwin asks, giving his friends the side eye as he unwraps the latest issue of _Love Like Caramel._

“You sent me a text message gloating about this chapter possibly being the one where they finally do it,” Hanji says matter-of-factly. “I won’t believe it until I see it for myself.”

“Okay,” Erwin says slowly. “And Mike?”

“I’m hungry and I don’t want to eat alone,” he answers.

And so they gather around the issue, staring at a backdrop of pink roses and bubbles and Ryota cupping Junichi’s face—“Jesus christ, those _hands_ ,” Hanji mutters—before opening the manga to the first page.

There’s a very pregnant pause in the room.

“Wow…” Erwin starts to say.

“That’s…” Hanji adds.

They turn a few more pages.

“I…” Hanji falters. “Why is it so _detailed_?”

“I guess...it’s clear what Levi spends the most time drawing,” Erwin concludes, feeling rather faint.

“Guys, I’m really uncomfortable right now,” chimes in Mike from somewhere behind them.

-

Erwin’s life forever changes when his Google Alerts to the query “Levi + Love Like Caramel” notifies him of a signing event held by the artist this Saturday.

The next day, Erwin says to Hanji, “My life is over.”

“Why? Did your gay porn get censored by the government? Because good riddance.”

“No, Hanji,” Erwin groans. “But I do need your help.”

 

And so, Hanji helps Erwin pick out an outfit Saturday morning.

“I cannot believe you’re acting like this is a date.”

“Isn’t it though?” Erwin exclaims, changing into his fifteenth outfit within the hour. “It’s exactly like a date; in fact, it’s a blind date, because no one knows who she is or what she looks like.”

“I imagine her to be this smelly cat-lady who looks at fujoshi material all day and draws dicks in unnecessary detail.”

Erwin gasps. “How could you.”

Hanji sighs. “Why am I friends with you?”

-

Hanji refuses to go with him to the signing, so Erwin goes to wait on the line by himself.

Except there is no line.

Erwin searches around the bookstore, looking for someone who could help him. But no one seems to know what he’s talking about and he grows increasingly frustrated. Is it possible he misread the event details? He checks his phone for the umpteenth time to make sure he’s at the right place. He wonders if Levi had to suddenly cancel and he feels his heart sinking. He just hopes that Levi is running late.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, he comes across a man sitting at a small table in a barely visible corner of the bookstore, looking bored and twirling a pen in his hand. He looks like he might be waiting for someone too, and Erwin figures it can’t hurt to ask.

“Hey, you here for Levi too?”

The man glances up at him and blinks. “Pardon?”

Erwin points to his copy of this month’s issue. “She’s supposed to be holding a signing event here.”

The other man coughs uncomfortably and then says, “Well, this is awkward.”

He uncaps his pen.

“I’m Levi.”

-

After spending an embarrassing fifteen minutes apologizing profusely and rambling starry-eyed about how amazing Levi and his series are, Erwin finally leaves the bookstore with a signed copy and his right hand tingling with the memory of Levi’s soft, ink-stained hand, shaking his own.

When Erwin gets on the train, he immediately opens up his copy—judging looks be damned—and excitedly reads the autograph.

_To Erwin:_

_Thank you for buying my mangas. I really appreciate it._

_Fans like you are what keep me motivated._

_\- Levi_

In his elation, Erwin almost misses the phone number scribbled underneath.

He stares at it for the rest of the ride home.

-

It takes Erwin three whole days to grow some balls and dial the number.

He holds his breath for the entire time it rings, and when Levi picks up, his voice smooth as silk, Erwin freezes up and forgets the conversation he’s rehearsed in his head all day.

“Hello?” Levi repeats.

“Hi. Er, I mean, hello. This is Erwin Smith. From the signing event?”

“Oh. I remember you. What’s up?”

Erwin starts panicking. He assumed Levi would be the one to jumpstart this conversation since he was the one who gave Erwin his number in the first place. Clearly he was mistaken. His mind reels and he wills himself to think of something to say.

“I—Nothing! I was just…wondering how you were…” Erwin finishes lamely. On the other end of the table, Mike is shaking his head sadly. Erwin gives him the finger.

“I’m doing well, thank you,” replies Levi.

A brief silence soon follows and Erwin has absolutely nothing to contribute to this surreal conversation anymore so he just blurts out, “Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?”

 

When Erwin hangs up, Mike is looking at him in disappointment.

“You used to have so much game, Erwin. I weep for your youth.”

Erwin glowers. “I still have a date and you don’t.”

-

By some sort of divine intervention, Levi just happens to live on the other side of the city. They agree to meet at a small coffee shop halfway.

Erwin shows up wearing a suit and tie while Levi comes in looking like he just rolled out of bed. Such is the life of an artist, Erwin figures.

They make small talk before moving onto the topic of Levi’s manga, and Erwin has to resist with every fiber of his being to not break his only rule for tonight, which is to not act like a crazed fan. He’s not quite sure if he’s succeeding and tries to change the conversation.

“You’re not quite who people imagined you to be,” Erwin admits, thinking back to Hanji’s description of Levi from earlier this week.

“Why?” Levi asks. Then he says, “Did they imagine some sort of smelly hermit who spends all day looking at yaoi and drawing dicks?”

“Um,” Erwin squeaks.

“Well,” Levi says, raising an eyebrow. “I hope they aren’t too disappointed.”

Erwin shakes his head rapidly and babbles, “Of course not! Far from it actually. I know I’m not.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Levi simply says, before bringing up his coffee to his lips.

As Erwin ponders how this date is even a reality, Levi is suddenly sighing unhappily and setting down his cup with a loud clack.

“This isn’t going to work out, Erwin,” Levi says soberly.

Erwin feels his heart drop to his stomach.

“I see,” Erwin responds weakly.

“Seriously, how could I have been so stupid?”

“No, I was being too forward asking you out for coffee—”

“I mean, what was I thinking introducing Risa already? The clashing love interest should come later on in the story.”

“What.”

“How could I have been so hasty,” Levi murmurs, looking genuinely distressed.

Erwin can’t stand to watch Levi look so upset, so he spends the next hour waxing poetic about the tear-jerking plot, the flawless character development, the time and effort Levi invests in his passion, and how more people will come to love such an amazing series soon enough.

In the end, he breaks his only rule for the night, but it’s worth it when he sees the small smile on Levi’s face, how he looks at Erwin, surprised but pleased.

-

“Oh my god, are you pursuing Levi?” Hanji asks one day.

“No,” Erwin answers distractedly, typing out a response to Levi’s text.

“ _Erwin,”_ Hanji hisses.

“Okay, I’ll admit he’s cute, alright? But he just asks for my insight a lot and I sometimes help him out with his story. This isn’t going to go anywhere, relax.”

-

But things change when Levi says over the phone:

“Enough about my work. I want to hear about you.”

-

“So I think Levi and I are a thing now,” Erwin admits to Hanji while working on their theses.

“He probably just likes your large hands,” she quips.

-

Erwin’s life isn’t extraordinary by any means.

In fact, it’s pretty dull. His research for his Ph.D is endless, and he’ll probably never make much money when he eventually becomes a professor; but he tries to live vicariously through people like Hanji, Mike and the kids he tutors and things like junk food, movies and unpopular yaoi mangas.

And then there’s Levi.                                                                                                                            

Erwin’s lips still burn where Levi had kissed him goodnight.

He starts rolling around in bed, screaming silently into his pillow like he’s twelve again.

-

Levi eventually starts joining Erwin and his friends for lunch.

Things are usually strange.

“Erwin, which sentence is better? 'Senpai, I want your throbbing flesh rod in me' or 'Senpai, I need you to put out this fire in my loins'?” Levi asks seriously.

“Wow, that’s actually really hard,” Erwin answers earnestly, chin in hand as he mulls over it.

“Ugh, isn’t it?” Levi huffs, brows creased in frustration.

Hanji stares at the couple. “Are you guys actually serious right now?”

“Fuck me sideways,” Mike mutters under his breath in exasperation.  

Levi looks up. “Oh, that works too. Thanks Mike.” And then scribbles down that line in his notebook.

-

But they warm up to him soon enough.

“This Risa sounds like a total bitch,” Hanji rants.

“I know. I hate my own character, it’s quite the tragedy,” says Levi, morose.

“You should kill her off!” Hanji declares gleefully.

“This is a love story, not a one of your crime thrillers, Hanji,” Mike states. He turns to Levi. “I think you should make her transfer out because she changed her major. And then Ryota can realize in the wake of her leaving, that he’s never really wanted her anyway. Maybe he only liked the idea of giving his parents the traditional family?”

“Oh,” Levi croons, eyes flashing with new ideas. “That’s not bad.”

Erwin holds Levi’s hand under the table and gives it a squeeze.

-

One second, they are cuddling on Erwin’s couch watching a movie rerun, and the next, Levi is kneeling on the floor between Erwin’s legs.

“This movie is damn boring,” he says, reaching for the buckle of Erwin’s belt.

“Um,” Erwin tries to voice, blood quickly rushing south.

“Don’t you agree?” Levi asks, pulling the belt free.

“Y-yeah, yeah I agree. Completely,” Erwin stammers out.

Levi glances up at him through his lashes and Erwin has to look away before he does something embarrassing, like coming in his pants. Below him, he hears Levi say, “You’re so shy sometimes. Don’t worry, I’ll make you feel good.”

As Levi starts to unbutton his jeans, Erwin faintly wonders why this particular exchange sounds so familiar. And then—

 _Oh shit, this was a scene from chapter twenty three, panel nine!_ Erwin thinks frantically.

Erwin finally looks down and sees Levi holding his cock. It looks huge in Levi’s hand.

_My life is actually Love Like Caramel._

And then his dick disappears into the tight heat of Levi’s mouth, and Erwin loses his train of thought permanently.

-

Erwin’s sex life improves dramatically.

But it also gets a lot weird. Like—

 

“Roleplay?” Erwin asks dubiously.

“Yeah, just a simple senpai-kouhai scenario,” Levi replies. “I need inspiration for some upcoming chapters.”

Okay, that’s sort of strange but Erwin isn’t one to complain when sex is involved so he just agrees and then continues where they left off groping each other on his bed. They kiss, rubbing against one another for a while, until Levi flips them over so that Erwin is on his back. Erwin looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and they share a small, playful smile before Levi leans down, kisses him once before moving to grab the lube by the nightstand. He pours a generous amount in his hands before slicking up Erwin’s cock with long, smooth strokes.

Erwin bites his lips and holds back a moan. “Impatient tonight, aren’t you?”

“I can’t help it. I haven’t done it in a while,” Levi replies, and Erwin frowns, thinking about how they just fucked this morning, and then he remembers— _oh right, roleplaying._

“Oh, really?” Erwin asks a bit awkwardly, swallowing audibly as he watches Levi reach behind him to slick himself up.

“Yeah. Now stay like this.” Levi pulls his fingers out and starts to climb on top of Erwin. “I want to ride you tonight.”

“Aren’t you a naughty boy,” Erwin says, warming up to his role. “Ordering your senpai around.”

Levi freezes, hovering over Erwin. “What are you talking about? _I’m_ senpai.”

Erwin stares at him. “What? How does that even make sense?”

Levi stares back. “Why wouldn’t it make sense?”

Erwin is about to remind him that Erwin is actually the older one out of the two of them and probably has several more years of experience in this field; but he doesn’t get a chance to because Levi is suddenly sinking down onto his cock and Erwin’s blurting out—

“Oh shit, _senpai!_ ”

 

Ten minutes later, Levi has his hands gripping Erwin’s ribcage, making the most sinful noises as he vigorously grinds himself down onto Erwin’s cock. Erwin holds Levi’s hips for purchase as he bucks up to meet him, thrusting into the white hot clutch around him, the bed creaking under them in protest. This is rapidly shaping up to be the best sex of Erwin’s life and he’s thinking to himself that he’ll never doubt Levi’s bedroom ideas ever again when suddenly, Levi is saying something to him.

“What was that, senpai?” Erwin asks, still thrusting into him.

“I said stop for a second,” Levi gasps out around a moan, and Erwin notices then that Levi has stopped moving.

“Huh?” Erwin halts as well. “Am I hurting you?”                               

“No,” Levi says. “I just had an idea, and I need to write it down.”

And then Levi is casually lifting himself off of Erwin’s dick, as if he wasn’t just riding it like it was the last horse out of the apocalypse and Erwin can’t help but balk.

“You’re kidding me.”

Levi crawls to the nightstand where his laptop lies, and Erwin gets an eyeful of the glorious hole he’s just been fucking into next week and—

“Can’t it wait?” he pleads.

“No Erwin, I need to write this down real quick, otherwise I’ll forget,” Levi tells him.

“Senpai, please,” Erwin tries.

But Levi is a man on a mission, and he’s booting up his laptop anyway, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the bed. Erwin watches in disbelief as Levi begins to type away furiously. Probably sensing that he’s being watched, Levi glances up.

“Aw,” he says, noting Erwin’s betrayed expression. “Don’t worry, it’ll only take a minute.”

And then a minute passes and Erwin shifts in bed until he’s pretty sure his hard, neglected penis is directly in line of Levi’s vision, yet Levi doesn’t even blink.

“I can’t believe I defend you on the internet,” Erwin laments.

Levi doesn’t hear him. Instead he says a moment later—

“Hey, do you think I should add 'senpai' at the beginning or the end of the following dialogue?”

-

Levi is currently passed out on Erwin’s couch, the lack of sleep from the upcoming deadline clearly taking a toll on him. His notebook lies forgotten on the coffee table, and Erwin can’t resist taking a peek. Making sure Levi hasn't stirred awake, he picks it up and reads the current page.

 

_ Shitty outline for possible scene in upcoming chapter? _

_Junichi looking ~~sad~~ mad: I was so wrong about you, senpai…_

_Ryota, a crushed expression on his face: No, you don’t understand! It’s all a misunderstanding!_

_Junichi turning away, hot tears welling in his eyes: I know what you told Keisuke-senpai._

_Ryota gasps: No…you can’t trust what he’s telling you! He wants to take you away from me like everybody else, Junichi!_

_Junichi yelling out: Lies! Why do you always lie to me!_

_And then Junichi turns around and runs towards the streets, tears blinding his line of vision so that he doesn’t see the oncoming ~~car~~  motorcycle heading his way. Ryota watches in horror but his feet suddenly won’t move. He screams Junichi’s name like a crazy mofo._

_When he finally starts running, it’s too damn late. Junichi has already been hit, and his body lies on the ground, lifeless, (but no blood, that’s gross)._

_Junichi doesn’t die obviously, and at the hospital, he lies in bed sleeping after a successful surgery. Ryota talks to Junichi but of course Junichi can’t hear him._

_Ryota holding Junichi’s hand: I love you so much. That’s what I told Keisuke. I told him that I love you and that he’ll never love you as much as I do._

_Ryota, a lonely tear escaping his eye: If only you knew, my darling Junichi._

Erwin stares at the page for a long time.

And then he gets choked up, overwhelmed by his boyfriend’s sheer talent.

-

For their one year anniversary, they don’t do anything grand. Erwin buys Levi a set of imported inking pens. Levi cooks him an outstanding three-course dinner, putting in as much effort as he would into a panel in his manga, and it’s the best thing Erwin could have ever asked for.

“Do you like it?” Levi asks anxiously.

Erwin nods happily, and mumbles out an enthusiastic reply around a mouthful of steak.

“Tsk, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Levi scolds and uses a napkin to wipe at the corners of Erwin’s mouth. Erwin smiles and kisses his hand.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it though. It’s the least I can do,” Levi says. And then after a beat, he adds wistfully, “I know I don’t make much money, but this is the first time I wish I did.”

And he looks so sad in that moment that it breaks Erwin’s heart to know that Levi is capable of making such a terrible expression and before he knows it, he’s rambling—

“You know, it never really made much sense because you’re already here most of the time anyway, like if you’re here all the time, you can cook me delicious meals so I don’t just eat crap for dinner and then we can use all those hours we would spend commuting to finally go through those old films that you wanted us to watch and it’ll be so much more convenient to spend time together and then we can just split the bills to make it easier for the both of us and—”

“Erwin,” Levi interrupts him, staring at him with wide eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Erwin says, after catching his breath. “Why don’t you just move in with me?”

 -

And so, Hanji and Mike offer to help Levi move into Erwin’s apartment the following weekend. It’s a flurried mess of mostly art supplies, out of season clothing, and a drafting table that weighs at least a ton and takes up an entire corner of the room.

There’s already a giant black stain on the carpet from a dropped vial of ink, and Erwin’s landlord will probably kill him for it later, but he couldn't find himself to care at all, not when the trade off is Levi, falling asleep and waking up next to him every day.

 

While Hanji and Levi are both out on another beer run for their impromptu housewarming celebration, Mike turns to Erwin and asks, “Aren't you glad I was late that day?”

Erwin laughs and replies, “Yeah.”

And then they clink bottles.

 

Later, while they cuddle in bed, Erwin asks Levi why he gave him his phone number that day at the signing.

Levi looks up at him, spent and loose in his arms. Erwin tucks a strand of hair behind Levi’s ear and wonders to himself just how he got so lucky.

“Finally curious?” Levi asks.

Erwin smiles and says quietly, “Always have been, to be honest.”

“Well,” Levi starts to say. “You were the only one to show up to the event. I was ready to pack my bags and just call it a day, until you showed up. I know my mangas aren’t the greatest, but it was clear that you genuinely liked them for some reason, and honestly, that made me really happy.

“As for why I left my number,” he continues after mulling over the thought for a while. “I don’t know. Something inside me told me that I should; that if I didn’t, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I’ve never felt that way before, so I figured it must mean something. So I just did.”

And then after a beat—

“Actually that last line was pretty moving. Should I use it in a chapter?”

“Yes, use it. Absolutely use it. I’m beyond moved,” Erwin chokes out and then tackles Levi into the bed for another round.

-

A few months later, _Love Like Caramel_ gets a sudden surge in popularity.

A surge so huge, it actually becomes the best-selling manga series of the year.

It leaves Erwin and Levi scratching their heads, but they have a pretty good feeling it is because of the recent paparazzi photos of heart-throb Eren Jaegar from the boyband Shifters reading a copy.

The number of pages for each chapter has since almost doubled because of the demand for it; and it keeps Levi (and Erwin) frequently up at nights, but they couldn’t have asked for anything else.

 -

Erwin makes another cup of coffee and brings it over to Levi, who’s crouched over his giant artist’s table and scribbling at a panel.

“Here you go, my little breadwinner,” Erwin says, handing over the coffee and kissing the top of Levi’s head.

Levi accepts the coffee with an ink-stained hand, blinking tiredly. Erwin sits down on the little stool that’s made itself a permanent fixture by the table, and watches Levi take a sip and hum approvingly. There’s a bit of ink smudged on his cheek, and Erwin licks the pad of his thumb before wiping away the mark with it.

“Ugh, that’s so gross,” Levi complains but there’s a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He looks so tired with the darkest circles under his eyes but he’s never looked more gorgeous and happy than he does now and Erwin realizes, _Holy shit._

“I’m so in love with you.”

“I know,” Levi nods, looking at him with sleepy eyes. “I love you too.”

At Erwin’s stunned look, Levi smiles softly and says, “Stop looking so ridiculous. Now can you pass me the .05 point pen over on your right?”

And Erwin does.

 

 

\--

**micro-epilogue**

The next chapter of _Love Like Caramel_ is dedicated to Erwin in celebration of their two year milestone. When it’s finally released, Hanji comes over, curious about the latest installment as much as Erwin is.

They read the chapter together, Erwin trying to hold back his emotional outbursts and Hanji rolling her eyes at every other panel, when they reach the sex scene.

And then suddenly, without thinking, Erwin is blurting out—

“Holy shit. That’s my penis!”

Hanji’s traumatized scream is heard for miles.

 

 

 


End file.
